


monogatari

by iokanaan



Series: historical atsukita aus [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Drabble, Heian Period, M/M, Pining, Pre-Relationship, now with part 2 ft. poetry reciting & Yearning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26304550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iokanaan/pseuds/iokanaan
Summary: A meeting of monsters at midnight. (Or: onmyouji Kita Shinsuke comes to court; Commander of the Imperial Guard Miya Atsumu flirts terribly.)
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke/Miya Atsumu
Series: historical atsukita aus [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911223
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

“Still up so late, onmyouji?”

Sitting alone in one of the vast storage halls near the northern perimeter of the Greater Imperial Palace, the exorcist Kita Shinsuke carefully extinguishes a lamp.

"Commander," he says, bowing his head in acknowledgement, and lifts the smoking wick out of the oil. The suggestion of a flame licks at his fingers, quicksilver under the flowering moon. Around him, the paper seals of his banishing array shiver and seem to shrink into themselves, parting through the middle of the hall to provide a path for Atsumu.

"Is this safe?" Atsumu remarks. One foot before the other, robes trailing across the cypress-wood floor, he walks this strip of darkness cut through a paper sea. "Aren't you letting in the monsters?"

Kita's face is difficult to read even in the best of lighting. At night, illuminated only by the moon and the stars and the wan glow of Atsumu's own lantern, it's impossible to tell what he's thinking.

Still, he almost seems amused. "Are you a monster, Miya Atsumu?"

Atsumu snorts in a very uncourtly manner. "I could have you executed for the very suggestion," he says. It would be even more uncourtly to place a hand on his sword, so that's exactly what he does.

He's too far away to discern the exact quality of blankness that descends across Kita's face, but he suspects it might be his version of a smile. "But really, onmyouji," he continues, fingers brushing slyly against the hilt of his sword before he lifts them away, "what _are_ you up to?"

Kita tips his head up to meet Atsumu's gaze. His eyes, his mouth, the line of his throat - illuminating him, even the light of Atsumu's lantern is beautiful. 

"I'm just doing what the Emperor summoned me to do," he says. Behind Atsumu, the seals glide back into place with the faintest whisper. "I'm just catching foxes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is atsumu *actually* a fox? is kita just flirting terribly? do they while away the night together, reciting sexy poetry to each other until day breaks and atsumu has to reluctantly tear himself from kita's side? who knows
> 
> (my historical atskt aus keep going further and further back in time lol... am I going to end up in the jomon period next? once again, who knows)


	2. uta-awase

稻つけばかかる我が手を今夜もか殿の若子が取りて嘆かむ

_From hulling rice_ _  
_ _My hands are calloused;_ _  
_ _On this night too,_ __  
_Will the young lord from the great house_ _  
_ _Sighing, take them in his?_

Beside Atsumu, Kita’s own calloused hands rest in stark half-shadow, just out of reach.

Atsumu makes no effort to touch. He dares not. "You're a fine poet," he says instead, "but a cold one."

Kita raises his eyebrows just slightly, his hands barely shifting against his thighs; Atsumu takes it as a request to explain. "You'd do well in a proper contest - in fact, you should definitely enter, it'd be fun to watch you wipe the floor with some of the arrogant courtiers around here.”

“But -” and his lantern flickers with even the slightest indrawing of breath. “There are no rules right now, onmyouji. You're reciting to me, not some fancy judge. You can have some heat in your voice, you know. You could even have some hunger."

"Hunger," Kita echoes, completely devoid of any heat, or indeed hunger. What is it about his voice, then, which makes Atsumu want to set a whole harvest ablaze?

Not that Kita would be at all impressed by that. For an onmyouji, he sure seems to care a tremendous amount about farming.

“Then, please,” Kita says, softly, after a long moment - and Atsumu would raise whole new harvests for him. "Could you demonstrate? Recite my poetry for me. Speak my words into warmth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> decided to tidy up the sexc poetry reciting snippet I wrote ages ago for my very first fic of 2021! kita's poem is by an anonymous author from [book 14 of the man'yōshū](http://www.wakapoetry.net/mys-xiv-3459/). hope you enjoyed!


End file.
